Contact-holder for electric switches



July 24, 1934. Q w KUHN 1,967,890

CONTACT HOLDER FOR ELECTRIC SWITCHES Filed May 8, 1933 Patented July 24,1934 1.967390 ooNTAo'rnoLnE on atenate Y swrrcH-Es- Clarence W. Kuhn,1VIilwaukce,'-Wis.,-a ssig nr' td V Cutler-Hammer, Inc; Milwaukee,Wi's.,.a corporation of Delaware Application May-'8, 1933, SerialNo;669,889

4 claims." (01. 260-166) I This-invention relates to'improvements in contact"holders'for electric switches.

A switch embodying certain features of the present invention isdisclosed in my copending ape of the former applicationas to allcommonsub ject-matteri More specifically, the'present' invention relatesllltocontact holders ofthe type having a spring pressed contactassociated therewith; and has among its objects to provide a simple,rugged and'ineXpe'nsi-ve contact holder of this type;

\ 7 Another object is; to provide a contact holder of the aforesaidtype, the parts of whichrnay be readily assembled andlikewisereadily'dis'assem I bled-for rep'airor renewal of the contact.

Another objectis to provide-a contact holder 4 of the aforesaidtyp'chaving an'improved' spring pressure device associated therewith forbiasing itsassociated contact. I

Various other objects andadva'ntages of the invention will-hereinafterappear.

The accompanying drawing illustrates two em zs bodinients of theinvention which will'now be described. it being understood that theembodiments illustrated are susceptible of modifica-' tion withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

36* In the drawing, f

Figure 1 illustrates a switch provided with one type of-contact holderembodying the invention; a portion of the holder being broken away andshown in section;

Fig; 2 is a'perspective view of one of the'parts shown in: Fig. 1; v

Fig. 3 illustrates a modification of the contact holder shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspectivevi'ew of one of the parts shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5' is afragmentary front elevational view of the upper end of thecontact holder shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional View taken substantially on the line68 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 7 is a view partly in section illustrating the upper end of thecontact holder shown in Fig. 3 with the parts thereof positioned topermit removal of the contact.

The switch illustrated in Fig. 1 includes cooperating stationary andmovable contact elements 1 and 2, the former element being fixed to aninsulating panel 3 and being of the type disclosed and claimed in myaforementioned copending application. The stationary contact ele- 5plication Serial NdAB'Lssa-nnd March-2011930," andthepresent-app1ication -is a continuation ment' 1 is provided with acor'itact' 4;and movatie contact element '2 includes a eeoperanhg'contact 5 mbuntedupon th'uppenendpfan operating lever'6." Lever 6'"has ahub'portion '7 on"the' lower end thereofshaped'tdreceivea squareinsulated sectarian" a shaft 8 and a cap member 9 secured tosaidhubportiori'by bolt's'lofserves tohold' said leven'iriposi'tioii"uporr said shaft. Shaft" 8 is rotatably'" mounted upon asuitable" being illustrated" at '11 Fig. 1, and as will beunde'rstoo'dr'rianual or 'power'operateafmeans may" be'provided foroperating" said shaft.

Theuppe'r end oflev'er 6 is provided with an opening forreceiving'fco'ntact 5 'andsai'd contaotisbiased'inw ardlywith respect tosaid lever; by a spring pressure'dvibeincluding'a plate 12 and'a helicalspring 13; As 'shownsaid'contact is provided with anelo'ng'a'ted"cylindrical shank 1 1 whicli'is 'slidablewithin the'openingin'leveifflfi6 and the same is also provided with an enlarged head 15 on its inner'endfor engaging'coh'tac't 4. As will be notediro'm'Fi'g'. 1,thepp'ening for" contact 2 in lever'6 'is 'counterbo'r'e'das'shown at"16 to'permit the contact 5 to'rock'with'respect'w to said lever andtherebyrerider" the same selfaligning with the face of contact 4." Theupper end ofplate 12' engages the shoulder formed'by the enlarged head15 on' co'ntact5 while the'low'er end of saidplate is fulcrumed' withinafrecess 17 in the hub portion 7 of lever 6. Recess is pr]suffi'cientdepth tofexp'ose the upper securing bolt 10 and as shown inFig; 2 the lower end 'of plate 12 is provided with a recess 18 forreceiving said bolt while the upper end of said plate is provided with arecess 19 for receiving'the shank 14 of Contact 5; Also as shown in Fig.2 plate 12 is providedwith a struck out portion 20 intermediate the endsthereof for engaging the interior of spring 13. Spring 13is'hel'd'undercompression between pl'ate"l2 andlever Gfsaidlever having"a reess"21 on'the inn'r'face thereof for receiving said spring. As isapparent, plate 12 is biased by spring 13 to move contact 5 inwardlywith respect to lever 6.

Inward movement of contact 5 with respect to lever 6 is limited by awasher 22 which cooperates with the front face of said lever and isfixed to the outer end of the shank 14 of said contact by a screw 23.Screw 23 also serves to secure one end of a flexible terminal 24 to thecontact 5, the opposite end of said terminal being secured to a bindingpost 25 fixed to the panel 3. Contact 5 is held against rotation withrespect to lever 6 by a pin 27 which is fixed to said contact and isslidable within a slot 28 provided on the upper end of said lever.

With the parts of the contact holder arranged as above described it isnecessary in order to remove contact 5 from lever 6 to remove terminal24 and washer 22. However, in the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3provision is made for removing the contact from its supporting leverwithout removal of the contact terminal.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3 contact 5 is carried by a lever30 having a vertical slot 31 in its upper end for receiving the shank 14of said contact. The front face of lever 30 is counterbored as shown at32 to receive the washer 22 on contact 5 and the upper end ofsaid 1everis provided with forwardly extending projections 33-33 which arearranged to overhang said washer as shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

Contact 5 is removably secured within the slot 31 of lever 30 by aspring pressure device including a spring pressed plate 34 having itslower end mounted upon lever 30 and having its upper end bearing againstthe shoulder formed by the enlarged head 15 on contact 5. As shown inFig. 4 the upper end of plate 34: is recessed at 35 to receive the shank14 of contact 5 and is provided with inturned portions 36-36 on oppositesides of said recess for engaging oppositely disposed recesses 37 in thehead 15 of said contact. The lower end of plate 35 is provided with anopening 38 for receiving a loosely fitting bushing 39 carried by a bolt40. Bolt 40 is arranged within an opening in lever 30 and has a nut 41on the inner end thereof which serves as an abutment for the lower endof plate 34. and also serves to clamp the bushing 39 against the rearface of said lever. Plate 34 is provided with a struckout portion 42intermediate the ends thereof for engaging the interior of a helicalcompression spring 43 which is interposed between said plate and thelever 30.

In connection with the foregoing it will be noted that spring as actsupon plate 34 to normally hold contact 5 in the position shown in Fig.3. With the parts in this position the washer 22 on the front end ofcontact 5 is located within the counterbore 32 in the front face oflever 30 andthe inner end of said contact is held against upwardmovement by the inturned por- .tions 3636 on plate 34;. Contact 5 isthus locked against removal from the slot 31 in lever 30. Upon closureof the switch there is a slight inward movement of lever 30 with respectto contact 5 against the action of spring 43, but the projections 3333on said lever then cooperate with washer 22 to prevent upward movementof the front end of said contact. As is apparent from Fig. 7, by movingcontact 5 outwardly with respect to lever 30 into a position wherein thewasher 22 thereon clears the projections 3333 and by disengaging theinturned portions 36-36 on plate 34 from the recesses 3'7 in the head 15of said contact, said contact can be moved upwardly to release the samefrom said lever without disconnecting the terminal 24.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an electric switch, the combination with a support, of a contactslidably mounted within an opening in said support and a spring pressuredevice for yieldingly holding said contact in a given position withrespect to said support, said device including a rigid lever having oneend fulcrumed upon said support and having its free end engaging saidcontact, and a spring held under compression between said lever and saidsupport, said spring being located intermediate said contact and thefulcrum of said lever.

2. In an electric switch, the combination with a support, of a contactslidably mounted within an opening in said support, said contact havingan enlarged head on one end thereof and having a terminal deviceassociated with the opposite end thereof, and a spring pressure devicefor yieldingly holding said contact in a given position with respect tosaid support, said spring pressure device including a rigid lever havingone end fulcrumed upon said support and having its free end engaging theenlarged head of said contact, and a spring held under compressionbetween said lever and said support, said spring being locatedintermediate said contact and the fulcrum of said lever.

3. In an electric switch, the combination with a support, of a contactslidably mounted within an opening in said support, and means foryieldingly holding said contact in a given position with respect to saidsupport, said means including a rigid lever having one end fulcrumedupon said support, and having its free end engaging said contact, and acoil spring held under compression between said support and said lever,said spring being arranged intermediate said contact and the fulcrum ofsaid lever and said support being recessed to receive said spring.

4. In an electric switch, the combination with a support, of acylindrical contact slidably mounted within an opening extending throughsaid support, said contact having an enlarged contact head on its innerend and having a projecting part associated with its outer end forengaging said support to limit inward movement of said contact withrespect to said support, and a spring pressure device for biasing saidcontact inwardly with respect to said support, said device including arigid lever having one end fulcrumed on said support and its oppositeend bearing against the enlarged head of said contact, and a coil springheld under compression between said lever and said support, said springbeing arranged intermediate said contact and the fulcrum of said lever.

CLARENCE W. KUHN.

